Islam Makhachev expects his coronation as lightweight champion to take place in his next fight after running through Bobby Green in the UFC Fight Night 202 main event.
Makhachev (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) extended his winning streak to 10 consecutive fights on Saturday when he earned a first-round TKO of late replacement Green (29-13-1 MMA, 10-8-1 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He was originally scheduled to fight Beneil Dariush in a surefire title eliminator at 155 pounds, but when the fight changed, so did the stakes.
For Makhachev, though, he thinks he’s still the rightful next challenger. Champion Charles Oliveira puts his title on the line against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 on May 7, and Makhachev thinks he should be the next man up.
